The Fifth Element
by Suchin Leeto
Summary: The movie my way, and then some. I hope it's a way you like it.
1. Waiting For Evil On a Cold Low Bench

Priest Vito Cornelious had been part of the Presidential Religious Advisory Board for nearly a year.   
During that time he had been eager to voice his opinions on matters of morality, but had found   
that was not what they were looking for. He found that what they wanted was an informed apology, a   
mender of spiritual wounds, an anonymous addresser of the public masses. In the last week alone he   
had written letters of apology and blessing to thirty two families. The letters concerned   
accidents that were blatantly preventible and obviously the government's fault. Priest Cornelious   
had worked hard for this soulless position, all in the spirit of his mission, so he could be able   
to address President Lindberg himself if need be when the time came. The time was here.   
So he sat in the general operations room. It felt strange to be awaiting the chance to save the   
universe from eternal darkness on a cold low bench. It helped that David was here with him,   
though he was ten times more nervous than he was and showed it in every action. Poor David was   
only seventeen and had been bestowed with such responsibility. He was a fine apprentice for the   
line of guardian priests, just young.   
Every twenty seconds or so the President's assistant would whisper the next issue in the agenda.  
Cornelious saw the President's face twitch in a peculiar fashion to this whisper, and knew it   
must be the topic he was there for.   
"Put him through" the President said "General Staedert, I have to address the Supreme Council in   
thirty seconds, just the facts."   
"Mr. President,there are no results from the chemical and molecular analysis as of yet, all the   
calibers are overshot..we're hoping a thermo nucleatic imaging.."  
"The President grunted, and then replied "What you are saying is you don't know what this..thing..is. "  
"Not yet Sir, only thing we know is it just keeps getting bigger!"  
"Options?" The president was quick to ask.  
"Wait or act" Staedert replied, with the emphases on act.  
"Reconmendations?"   
"My philosophy is shoot now and ask questions later. I don't like uninvited guests" Staedert sounded  
proud of that.  
The President nodded and looked around the room "Gentlemen?" to look for advisement. The head   
scientist spoke up, looking over his shoulder at the president from his console "I think it would be   
foolish to shoot at an organism that seems alive, without first taking the time to study it more!   
Besides, it has shown no signs of hostility."  
Cornelious gritted his teeth together, not shooting was right, the scientist was wrong about taking   
time.  
"No, it's just getting bigger" the President sounded worried now.  
"So do people" the Scientist added "but that's no reason to shoot them."  
The President shook his head "The Security of the Federated Territories is and remains number one   
priority" he turned to the military reprisentatives "I suppose General Staedert's "philosophy" is   
acceptable to you?"  
As expected the little group of generals and admirals nodded yes.  
"All right, with no further objections, Staedert?-"  
Cornelious had already been swelling inside with objections and now raised his hand in a knee jerk   
reaction. A man's voice introduced him as Priest Vito Cornelious of the Presidential Religious Advisory  
board, expert of astronomical anomaly. The President seemed half surprised and half annoyed at this particular objection, motioning him to explain "Yes?." Cornelious managed to work up enough saliva to speak as he stood.  
"I have a different theory to offer you, Mr. President."  
"I'm listening" he replied.  
Cornelious continued "Imagine for a moment that this, thing is not anything that can be identified because, it's prefers not to be, because it is evil..Total evil."  
"One more reason to shoot first" there was an unmistakable hint of sarcasm in the President's voice. The military advisors nodded in agreement again enthusiastically.  
David was continually praying in the back of the room, quietly, to keep from fainting. This was no time to pull attention to an unconscious teenager.  
In spite of the President's disbelief Vito Cornelious stood a little taller, continuing onward.   
"Evil begets evil, Mr. President. Shooting will only make it stronger."  
Staedert interrupted "Mr. President, we're at a crisis point."  
The President almost looked puzzled "Your theory is interesting Father but I don't think we have time to go into it right now!"  
Cornelious took a confident step forward "Time is of no importance, Mr. President. Only life is important."  
Now the President was exasperated "That's exactly what we are going to try and do: Protect the lives of some 200 billion of our fellow citizens! General? You may fire when ready."  
Staedert's voice was cold in reply "Up front loading of a 120 ZZR missel. Marker lights on the objective."  
Suddenly one of the scientists almost jumped speaking up "It's structure has just solidified on the surface, as if anticipating the attack. If that's the case, we are undoubtedly dealing with an intelligence."  
"The most terrible intelligence imaginable, Mr. President" Cornelious added.  
Finally the President was hesitant "Staedert? Give me a minute, I have a doubt."  
Staedert sounded even colder than the last time "I don't, Mr. President."  
The first series of missiles were launched, and as the Priest expected the dark planet only grew larger.   
The Scientists in the room buzzed with conversation at the results.   
The President was worried now "Staedert? What's going on? Did you destroy it?"  
"I'm about to, Mr. President" Staedert still sounded confident.  
Cornelious said a silent prayer as the war ship fired more missiles into the dark mass.   
Another scientist spoke up "The planet's diameter has greatly increased and it's moving toward the ship."  
The President was now frantic "Staedert? Get out of there immediately! I don't want an incident, do you hear me? Staedert?' there was no reply "Staedert, get out of there! That's an order!"  
The dark mass had grown until it swallowed the ship in flames. After the ship had been confirmed destroyed, the room was silent for several very long moments. Finally the President turned to the Priest "We need to have a talk." 


	2. Built In Ex Life

Korbin Dallas awakened with a jolt, ramming his head into his 'built in' shelving. 'Built in shelving'   
had sounded somehow functional and charming coming out of the mouth of a realtor five years   
ago. Somehow the lady had managed to make a cramped run down box of an apartment sound   
like a 'cozy and functional bachelor pad with space efficiency'. The reason why he had fallen   
susceptible to the realtor's manipulations could most definitely be attributed to one word: Divorce.   
His heart had just been clean and jerked out of his chest still beating through a brutal and sudden   
divorce when he had purchased this hovel. Having been kicked out of his home and cleaned dry   
of his savings, a place within his budget with a view of relatively clean air had sounded like home.   
Korbin swore under his breath he would remove that shelf. His touch of post traumatic stress   
syndrom coupled with the shelf was giving him a daily head blow. Every night he'd have dreams   
filled with gore and death. What do you get for being a retired special forces unit soldier? Some   
medals, a couple of trophies and bad dreams.   
He hit the wake up button and his apartment came to noisy life. The sound of the phone ringing   
added to the noise.  
"Yeh yeh yeh!" he whined, some good morning "I'm coming". He bet himself a cup of coffee that   
was Finger on the phone. He took his sweet time getting to the phone before picking it up "Yes?"  
"It's Finger, you sound like crap."  
Korbin opened the door for his cat who immediately performed a couple figure eights around his   
legs purring. He loved his cat. One thing he got was the cat, his cat. He was relieved his ex wife   
had revealed the fact she hated cats at the divorce proceedings.   
"Good morning sweetie" Korbin replied to his cat.  
"Yeah I love you too Major, but you haven't called me that since basic training." Finger replied   
suspiciously.  
"I was talking to the cat "Korbin made his way over to the coffee maker for the cup he won.  
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You still prefer cats to the real thing."  
"Cats come back." Korbin sipped his coffee, wincing at it's harsh acidic flavor, setting it down on   
one of his shelves. Matches, he needed matches, because he needed a cigarette. One of four   
a day these days on his plan to quit. He began to rummage through the shelf, turning over a   
letter of commendation here, a medal of valor there.  
Finger laughed "You don't need them to come back, there's millions of women out there."  
Korbin grunted "I don't want a million women, I want one woman, the perfect one." He could   
practically hear Finger shaking his head.   
"There's no such thing bud" Finger replied.  
Finger was practically the only friend Korbin had, they had been through the worst together.   
Finger had gotten him the job as a cab driver at the worst time in his life, but when it came to   
women they parted ways. Through all the heart ache Korbin still believed in romance and true   
love, even love at first sight. Korbin turned over a frame, finding it had a picture of he   
and Finger "uhg."  
"What?"  
"I just found a picture of you."  
"How do I look?"  
"Like crap." He finally found his matches, promptly moving to grab a cigarette from the dispenser.  
"Must be an old picture....Look Korbin, I want you to bring your cab in for a six month overhaul."  
He lit his cigarette and spoke with it hanging from his mouth "It doesn't need a sixth month overhaul."  
"Korbin," Finger almost sounded amused "how many points do you have left on your license?"  
"Uhhh..."  
Finger's tone turned more forceful "I said how many points are left soldier?"  
Korbin scrambled for a good number "At least forty, fifty points."Finger lightened up a bit with small   
laugh "You're a lousy liar, I'll see you later" he hung up.  
Korbin had been a great fighter pilot, and it made him a great cab driver for the most part, but his   
cab didn't agree. Finger of all people would know that, he had sat next to Korbin for a thousand   
missions. Korbin hung the phone up and grabbed his coffee, sitting down. The cat stared at him   
from the counter sitting in front of it's cup. He poured some of his coffee in the cats cup, tapping   
his mug to the cats.   
"Cheers."  
This was going to be a long day. 


End file.
